Veteran Safety C.C. Brown Reportedly Visiting Bengals
by Jason Garrison on Apr 27, 2010 10:00 PM EDT
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PrintTwitter is alive with chatter of safeties dropping into the Queen City to visit the Bengals. First it was Ken Hamlin from Dallas and now it's C.C. Brown from the Giants. Maybe the Bengals will set up a Thunderdome-ish competition to see which safety will.... earn his stripes? Two safeties enter.... one safety leaves. Then again, maybe they'll just decide who the better safety is without any unnecessary bloodshed.
Aaron Wilson, writer for Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital, wrote:
According to a league source, former Houston Texans and New York Giants safety C.C. Brown is meeting with team officials.
C.C. Brown, a former sixth round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette, played for the Houston Texans from 2005 to 2008 racking up three interceptions, four forced fumbles and 15 passes defensed. After the 2008 season, Brown left for the New York Giants where he only had three forced fumbles and three passes defensed. When the Giants signed defensive back Deon Grant, they retracted Brown's restricted tender.
GiantsGab.com had these things to say when Brown came to them from Houston:
Here is Brown’s scouting report courtesy of ESPN/Scouts Inc:
Brown has been a starter for each of his previous four years in the NFL, all with the Texans. He missed most of the 2008 season when he was put on IR for a broken arm late in September. His is an above-average sized safety with good striking power and explosiveness when tackling in the hole. He is an instinctive player who is quick to key and diagnose and takes good angles to get to the ball. He plays with a lot of energy and is not timid about inserting himself to make the play in the hole. Brown is more effective the closer he lines up to the line of scrimmage and can struggle in coverage. He has three interceptions in his career, one in each of his first three years, so Brown’s definitely not a ball hawk. He is adequate in his pedal to extend the cushion but tends to come out of his pedal in stages and will loose relationship to receivers in transition. He has a marginal burst to close on the ball once he gets realigned and shows just adequate ball skills when in position to make a play on the ball. He has adequate route recognition but does not look natural when trying to read the quarterback’s eyes to get a jump on the ball.
With Ken Hamlin already reportedly visiting the Bengals in the next couple days via his Twitter account, this obviously shows that the Bengals are serious about adding some more depth to the safety position. I doubt that the Bengals would sign both Brown and Hamlin but it wouldn't surprise me if we find out that one of these guys are in stripes by the end of the week.
The Bengals are being really proactive in free agency right now and I for one, hope they keep it up.
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As an Eagles fan who’s watched this guy on the Giants… he’s terrible. I’m sure Giants fans will say the same. Teams would target him because he was so bad.
Cross your fingers or flood the Cincy front office with emails… Hamlin is the guy you want if given the choice between these two.
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i like the competition aspect for the backup S
….but I am hoping for big things from undrafted cfa jeromy miles. And by big things I mean a better option than tom nelson and potential starter in 1-2 yrs….either way, bring in a veteran and have a free for all with last man standing.
by Tyler Pochocinco on Apr 27, 2010 10:42 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
The UFA Safety from UGA
Has been touted as the best of the undrafted players. His name is escaping me eight now, but I bet he makes the team.
by Anthony Cosenza on Apr 27, 2010 10:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
there would be no competetion between Crocker and Hamlin if the Bengals decide 2 sign him
he is much better in coverage. Hamlin would fit perfect with Roy Williams!
Kenneth Lewis Moore
by lightskin350 on Apr 28, 2010 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Miles, Bryan Evans and the Future at Safety
I do like him. I think he can definitely contribute to the team, if not this year in the near future. I am still hoping that they give Ghee or even Trent a look at Safety, as well. I think they could be a perfect ball hawking cover safety. That could potentially lock up the Safety position for a few years as well. I don’t see them starting this year but, you could have one of them (Ghee or Trent) make the team as the Nickelback and start to have them learn the Safety position as well. I like Miles though as well. I’m hoping one of these two options will be our Safety of the future so we can be stable at this position with young talent, as we are with all the other positions on D. At some point we need a young Safety so that we can stop using Veteran Journeymen get by. We do have some options at the very least though. Bryan Evans is another young Safety we have. I’m not as high on him as I am on Miles but, he could still impress in Training Camp and Preseason.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record...
…Darren Sharper?
by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 27, 2010 11:36 PM EDT reply actions
agree 100000000000000000000000000000000000%
Kenneth Lewis Moore
by lightskin350 on Apr 28, 2010 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
IF we use him right (deep read and react not cover-2 last-line-of-defense), and IF our corners stay healthy… agree completely.
Of course, Mikey Boy probably won’t be willing to pay him what he’ s looking for… but it’s still worth a shot.
I wouldn’t recommend counting on him for more than a year or two. But he’d be worth bringing in to have a look-see.
another big-hitting safety...
who’s good in run support, but struggles in coverage and isn’t a ball hawk? Why does that sould a lot like Williams, Ndukwe, and Crocker?
We already have this angle covered with our current personnel. The scouting reports on Miles sound a lot more promising.
CC Brown....No disrespect to you but you are not what we need...D.SHARPER IS
just sitting out there needing a team. Ken Hamlin is an upgrade over Crocker, but he has only 1 int in the last yr. This once again boils down to MONEY and the Bengal’s not wanting to pay Sharper what he would be asking. Sharper was the best defensive player on the SB winning Saints who the Bengals play at home this year. Sharper would be everything Cincy needs in a safety and would fit in with Zimmer and his philoposy of players that no one wanted.
Kenneth Lewis Moore
Snicker. OK, I’ll agree completely that we should bring him in. But best player on that defense? HELL NO! He’s not even the best player in the secondary! Most experienced. Yeah. Most productive in turnovers? Sure. Most skilled at being in the right place at the right time when stuff happens so he can profit from others’ good plays? True again.
But the best player on that team was one of the following three: Jabari Greer, Jonathan Vilma, or Will Smith. Sharper would be a distant fourth to all three. Or maybe even fifth or sixth, gotta have room for Tracy Porter and Sedrick Ellis somewhere.
Sharper is a production machine when it comes to turnovers IFF he’s playing in the right scheme and IFF he’s surrounded by other talented players that he can both help coach on the field and can play off their successes in getting sacks/pressures/fumbles/etc. But that’s all. Don’t think that he’s suddenly going to make the run defense better. He’s worthless there. And don’t think he’s going to increase coverage sacks. He can’t help there either. All he can do is make turnovers.
That’s nothing to sneeze at, of course. And I’d love for us to get some more next year. It would help. But don’t think he’s some sort of superstar whose presence would have the same effect on our team like adding a healthy Troy Polamalu would.
9 picks last year. 'Nuff said.
That doesn’t happen without serious coverage and ball skills. The Saints pass rush last year was nothing to write home about, so it wasn’t like Sharper was just out there shagging hurried, errant throws. Fact of the matter is, his help in defending the run isn’t what we need him for- Hamlin or Brown might actually be able to do that, it’s coverage and being that defensive quarterback. Not to mention what he could teach our young ’uns.
by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 28, 2010 3:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Pass rush from the front four? Well it wasn’t awesome, that’s for sure. But it wasn’t Raider-like as you seem to assume either. But the Saints blitzed something like 60% of the time. And that caused quite a few hurried throws.
Sorry, but your argument doesn’t hold water here.
But it wasn’t so much even that as him being able to read and react to QBs who had to hold the ball a half second longer than they wanted to because the corners (before they got hurt, at least) were covering so well. And if the same can happen here, he can produce here as well.
Just don’t expect miracles, that’s all.
I gotta agree w the Friar
To all the Bengals fans who keep salivating over these ancient free agents..have you noticed the boatload of young talent we are accumulating? I agree that he did have luck on his side last year..or maybe his success was due to the Saints O. Of course if you’re down by thirty by half you will take more chances in the air. Vilma is. Beast. Sharper is going to cash in from last season to a desperate team..not us.
by quickslant on Apr 28, 2010 4:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
So if he's on a team w/ two really good corners, he thrives?
Hmm…I wonder what team has two really good corners. The dude is one pick six from having the all time record in the NFL. That doesn’t happen by accident. He’s coming off a monster year and while, yeah, he’s not the youngest guy, I don’t see any reason to think he’s going to go into some precipitous decline in ’10.
That said, it’ll never happen: $$$. Mikey’s not winning any bidding wars.
could be more than money
since the draft, sharper has options now
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
Your thoughts
It is just me but looking at Brandon Ghee whom the Bengals drafted in the third round, he just looks like he has the body for safety. From what I have heard he is a hard hitter and wonder if the Bengals have any plans on trying him there.
Immediately after the draft
The question about not drafting a Safety was all over the boards. I stated they did draft one, his name is Brandon Ghee. Maybe he’ll be a hybrid for us and be able to play both, and as time goes on we’ll learn where he is best suited.
+1
I believe I was in there with you and we were both saying this. I really really hope they give him a look at Safety. I’d still like to see a signing of Hamlin, perhaps in case the transition doesn’t work out like I hope. I do think though that UpStateMike and FT are correct though. Ghee is 6’0" 192 lbs. he could easily add a few pounds of muscle to that frame, as well. In comparison Ed Reed is 5’11" 200 lbs as his Chris Crocker. Ghee runs a 4.4 40 and he would be a Greay coverage ballhawking Safety. I hope they atleast take a look at this and I think they will atleast explore the idea. Zimmer usually tries to find ways to get his best players on the field. Look at Rey last year.
ghee was drafted to take jojo's spot
after his contract is up
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
Possibly
We don’t know for sure that he won’t be resigned. The thinking is they are going to try to resign atleast one. If so why not Jjoe so we have them together for an extra year. If they cant then yea that was part of the reason they drafted. As a POSSIBLE replacement to Joseph
Zimmer's comments
after they had drafted Ghee, was along the lines of what’s wrong with using 3 CBs and 1 safety vs. the traditional two CBs and two safties. So it sounds like if it comes down to depth they are going to keep the corners that could play safety, if they have more talent than the pure safeties.
If a guy can't cover we don't need him at Safety. Sharper would be good but....
MB won’t pay him. He needs to concentrate on getting the draft picks signed before he knows where he can put his money. Yea MB has a history of being cheap but I think he is also tired of being a laughing stock as an owner. He is letting the coaches influence the draft and he has been willing to spend a bit more as time for his legacy runs shorter. I know a lot of rich old people and priorities change as you age. I am seeing this a bit more in MB. Not a lot – but a bit. Sharper is a pretty expensive get though and our Safeties aren’t that bad and a backup who can challenge Roy and especially Crocker should be available. If our Oline improves like I think it will there will be a bit less pressure on our Safeties. But I must say if we could get Sharper we could have a very, very strong D. Possible #1 or #2.
"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"
I'm not sure I would want to pay Sharper the type of money he is wanting
He could go down hill at any point with his age. He is also coming off an injury. He probably does have a year left but again, at some point his age will catch up to him. I guess with the Safeties we have we wouldn’t be putting all our eggs in one basket with him. I would just be leery of assuming he would make us the best D in the league. I would rather see them take a look at Hamlin and at the same time look at Ghee at Safety.
Not a big fan of this move
Unless he’s willing to take league min. and be our backup SS then i don’t see the point of going after CC Brown. Ndukwe is pretty much the same player but cheaper, more upside and knows the system…. oh well, can’t complain that the team isn’t looking at making every roster spot ultra competitive.
by Sheffieldbengal on Apr 28, 2010 10:07 AM EDT reply actions
Don't do it!
Both of these safeties are awful, but C.C Brown shouldn’t even be in the NFL. Brown has no intention of playing the ball when he lays a hit. He’s also poor at shedding blocks despite the fact that he’s a traditional strong safety. He takes awful angles at tackling and bites on every play-action pass, leaving our cornerbacks very pissed off. He only lasted 5 games as a starter (3 of those games came against the bucs, chiefs, and raiders). He was by far the worst player on our team and probably the worst starting safety in the league.
OK, I got a bit emotional there, but he was way too horrible in preseason, regular season, and even as back-up to fill some playing time, in 2009 to still be on an NFL roster. He’s a special teamer at best and you guys better hope your front office doesn’t sign him — unless for purely depth.
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